By Kevin Kauffman, Berks Girls Basketball correspondent
Twin Valley sophomore Lauren Williams scored nine of her team-high 16 points in the first quarter Tuesday night as the Raiders repeatedly fended off surges by Conrad Weiser to escape Robesonia with a 55-50 win.
The Raiders never trailed in this matchup of the top teams in Berks II, but also never led by more than seven points. Every time the Scouts looked prepared to make a run, Twin Valley was able to hold them in check.
“I love these girls, they came through and they always keep pushing,” said Twin Valley head coach Matt Hahn. “They don’t quit and they keep coming at you. Even when [Conrad Weiser] made runs on us, we kept punching back. I am super-proud of the effort.”
Williams was 4-of-6 from the field in the first quarter, including her lone 3-point attempt, to get the Raiders (4-0 Berks II, 11-3 overall) off to a fast start and a 17-12 lead after eight minutes.
In a battle between two of the top three scoring defenses in the county, Twin Valley started hot in the first half to build a 32-28 lead. Conrad Weiser entered the contest only allowing 32.5 points per game.
“We talked about getting out quick and to keep going the whole game,” said Hahn. “Lauren plays at an incredible pace.”
The Scouts (2-2 Berks II, 9-3 overall) did not go away, as they were led by sophomore Geniva Paul, who finished with a game-high 17 points. Her 3-pointer from the corner tied the game for the first time at 34 apiece midway through the third quarter.
The Raiders had an immediate answer when Ellison Kaplan completed a three-point play, and a layup by Williams stretched the lead to five. When Hailey Kilgore, the team’s leading scorer on the season who was held to eight points on the night, beat the buzzer with a layup, Twin Valley had matched its largest lead of the game at 46-39.
Weiser, which entered the night on a four-game winning streak, had another run in them to start the final quarter.
The Scouts were able to consistently beat the Raiders’ press. A pair of 3-pointers by Alex Trevena and a layup by Lauren Grabosky cut the lead to 49-48 with 3:30 left. Williams converted a steal into an easy score to provide a cushion, and the Raiders went 4-for-4 from the foul line in the final minute to seal the victory.
“We knew [Conrad Weiser] was going to be tough, and we powered through,” said Williams. “We bring each other up. We knew Hailey was having a rough game, but she came through in the end. I just want to help my team the best I can.”
In addition to Williams, Hahn also recognized the effort by Olivia Schmittinger, who added 12 points and seven rebounds and played a crucial role in a 33-22 rebounding advantage for the Raiders.
“They have been big for us all year,” he said. “We preach the team approach here, we step up. We know that Hailey is going to get a lot of attention. They have really played selfless basketball.”
Photo gallery by PhilMarPhoto.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
Twin Valley | 17 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 55 |
Conrad Weiser | 12 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 50 |
Raiders (4-0, 11-3) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
Williams | 7-14 | 1-2 | 1-3 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
Schmittinger | 4-9 | 3-3 | 1-2 | 0 | 7 | 12 |
Kaplan | 1-2 | 3-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
O. Kilgore | 3-8 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
H. Kilgore | 2-12 | 4-4 | 0-5 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
Hahn | 2-4 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
Crisi | 0-2 | 2-2 | 0-1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Totals | 19-51 | 15-18 | 2-14 | 5 | 28/33 | 55 |
Scouts (2-2, 9-3) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
Trevena | 4-9 | 2-2 | 4-9 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
Bossler | 2-2 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
Paul | 4-11 | 8-10 | 1-2 | 3 | 2 | 17 |
Feliciano | 1-6 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Spang | 1-6 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
Grabosky | 3-5 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 1 | 7 | 8 |
Totals | 15-39 | 15-22 | 5-13 | 6 | 15/22 | 50 |
Turnovers: Conrad Weiser 19, Twin Valley 18. Team rebounds: Conrad Weiser 7, Twin Valley 5.
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